It's not all doom and gloom. On a mission to spread a little sunshine into people's lives.

Wednesday, 12 August 2015

High five to Costa Rica!

Costa Rica produced all of its electricity from renewables for
months without a break at the start of the year. In March, the state-owned Costa Rican
Electricity Institute (ICE) reported that the country hadn’t had to
burn fossil fuels to supply the grid with electricity for the first
two and a half months in 2015, a stretch that had never been
previously attained by any nation, as reported by IFL Science.

The
country’s clean streak is predominantly attributable to heavy rains
experienced this year, which kept four of the main hydroelectric
power stations busy. In fact, these have been churning out so much
energy that virtually all of 2015’s electricity demands have been
met through these plants, according to Quartz. The remainder of the
country’s grid requirements have been met through a combination of
wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy.

Costa Rica is determined to become
carbon-neutral by 2021, which seems an achievable goal given that the
country is currently meeting around 94% of its energy needs from
renewables. Around 68% is sourced from hydroelectric power plants,
followed by geothermal energy that contributes about 15%. This
dedication to clean energy combined with the country’s broader
environmental policies has meant that Costa Rica has been
consistently ranked in the top five eco-friendly countries worldwide according to The Telegraph.

Although what Costa Rica is achieving
is something to aspire towards, it won’t be easy for many countries
to follow in their footsteps. The country is adorned with a
number of active volcanoes that allow for geothermal projects, such
as the $958 million endeavour approved last year. Costa Rica also
experiences high rainfall and features a mountainous landscape, both
of which are ideal for the generation of renewable energy.
Furthermore, the country is able to invest substantial amounts into
environmental issues due to the fact that it ditched its military
back in 1948.